Demand is heating up for summer travel to cooler destinations in
Europe, tour operators say, as travelers look to escape the scorching
temperatures forecasted to make the Continent's most popular regions
noticeably warmer this year.
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service found a probability
of more than 60% that temperatures across much of Southern and Western
Europe, including Spain, France and Italy, will reach above-average
levels in June, July and August.
Such projections are helping push bookings for Europe's cooler
destinations during 2023's peak summer travel months, from June through
August.
Iceland, Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK are the most in-demand
destinations suppliers say travelers are booking to beat the summer
heat.
EF Go Ahead Tours said bookings to the UK and Ireland are up 50% this
August compared with last August and up 200% compared with August 2019.
Summer bookings for Scandinavia are also up 50% compared with summer
2019.
"We've seen tremendous booking growth [for Scandinavia, U.K. and
Ireland], especially in the last few months as people look for cooler
climates," said Heidi Durflinger, president of EF Go Ahead Tours.
"People are eager to get back out travelling and looking to escape the
heat in the summer months."
While Iceland is typically a popular destination for Intrepid, the
company said sales are up 136% through May compared with the same period
in 2019. Sales to Scandinavia are up 62% this year from 2019.
"Iceland has been booming since before the pandemic, and so the
growth isn't as dramatic, but in Scandinavia, the growth is huge this
year in particular, as is Scotland," said Tom Smith, vice president of
sales and marketing of North America for Intrepid.
Kensington Tours also reports strong sales to Scandinavia, particularly Norway and Finland, for summer travel.
Finland sales are up 71% while Norway's have increased by 45%. The
company is also seeing more interest in Denmark and strong sales in the
Netherlands and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Czech Republic and
Hungary.
"The increased demand for traditionally popular destinations in
Europe such as Italy and the south of France have made it more crowded
and more expensive," said Helen Giontsis, president of Kensington Tours.
"As travellers look for alternatives, they are discovering other
countries and regions that offer great art, culture, food and wine,
including the Scandinavian countries that also offer the benefit of
cooler temperatures."
Strategies for staying cool
Tour operators aren't the only ones noting the preference for cooler climes this summer.
A Mastercard travel trends report published in May said that weather
patterns have prompted subtle changes in where people spend their
summers and that extreme heat waves and risks of wildfires in Southern
Europe are driving travellers to the northern parts of the Continent,
including to the U.K., Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and
Germany.
Cooler destinations outside of Europe are also growing in popularity,
suppliers say, with Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, all
countries or regions in the Southern Hemisphere, seeing an uptick in
bookings this summer during their winters.
EF said that Southern Africa and safaris are up almost 200% this
summer, and Australia and New Zealand are seeing more than double (plus
120%) the travellers compared with summer 2019.
Japan and Southeast Asia are also in high demand. EF has seen a
200%-plus increase in bookings to Japan since summer 2019, and both
Japan and Thailand have been up over 100% in the past six months for the
summers of 2024 and 2025 compared with last year.
"The Japanese Alps tend to be cooler, especially in June or July,"
said EF's Durflinger. "Thailand's hottest months are April and May, so
by late June/July the wet season starts, which means temperatures break.
While there may be increased showers, it's a great time to visit, with
less crowds and cooler temperatures."
Travellers are also looking to beat the heat by travelling during the
shoulder season and offseason months, which offer both a cooler
vacation and one that's less crowded and potentially cheaper.
"A lot of our customers are not constrained by having to travel
during school holidays, and so we're seeing that May, June, September
and October are far busier than July and August," said Intrepid's Smith.
"With Southern Europe becoming hotter, we are seeing customers who can
travel outside of the peak hot months doing so or travelling to other
areas of Europe."
Plenty of people still have their sights set on always-popular
European destinations of Italy, France, Spain and Portugal for July and
August.
"We're somewhere close to 80% capacity and still seeing demand coming
in for the summer months," said Durflinger, adding that some tours are
already sold out for June and July.
While Durflinger said EF's experienced local tour guides know how to
keep guests cool on tours – visiting museums, finding shaded areas to
discuss sites and attractions or taking breaks in air conditioned cafes –
she suggested that the best way to stay cool as temperatures continue
to climb each year is to travel in the offseason.
"To me, Italy in February, March is the best time to go," she said.
"You're outdoors with the sun shining and don't need a jacket. [Plus],
it's less expensive to travel during the offseason."
Source: Travel Weekly